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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2019

Parade canceled after Feds: Probe into deaths at

‘destructive devices’ VA hospital is ‘top priority’

found near route By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

and MICHAEL BALSAMO
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J. (AP) the community,” prosecu- Associated Press
— Authorities canceled a tors and police said. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)
New Jersey Labor Day pa- Gov. Phil Murphy and First — Federal prosecutors said
rade that the governor was Lady Tammy Murphy had Friday a sweeping criminal
supposed to attend Mon- planned to march in the probe into a number of sus-
day because “destructive 62nd annual event. picious deaths at a Veter-
devices” were found near The investigation by county ans Affairs hospital in West
the parade route. prosecutors and Sea Bright Virginia would be their “top
Thomas Kaiser, 55, of South and South Plainfield police priority.” Bill Powell, the U.S.
Plainfield, was charged also included representa- attorney in West Virginia,
with two counts of posses- tives of the state homeland said his office is involved in
sion of a destructive device security office and bomb a “comprehensive federal
for an unlawful purpose, squad as well as the FBI criminal investigation” into
with additional charges ex- and various K-9 units, au- the deaths of up to 11 pa- In this Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019, file photo, Veterans Affairs
pected, Middlesex County thorities said. tients at the Louis A. John- Secretary Robert Wilkie testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington.
prosecutors and local po- NJ.com reports that a son VA Medical Center in Associated Press
lice said. woman who answered the Clarksburg. At least two agency. He signed legis- the FBI, would be his of-
Authorities said a suspicious phone at Kaiser’s home of the deaths have been lation that made it easier fice’s “top priority” and
package containing a de- and declined an interview ruled homicides, accord- to fire VA employees and that the probe began as
structive device was left at said the incident involved ing to attorneys represent- speed disability appeals soon as potential criminal
Donovan’s Reef bar in Sea “fireworks” and had been ing families of men who and expanded the Vet- activity was discovered.
Bright. That prompted an “blown out of proportion.” died. The announcement erans Choice program, The Veterans Administra-
investigation Sunday that A man in the front yard of comes about a week after which gives veterans the tion’s inspector general is
led to Kaiser’s home, and the suspect’s home and federal prosecutors indict- option to see private doc- also investigating.
other devices were found identified himself as his ed a former pathologist at tors outside the VA medi- Two bodies were already
near the residence, author- younger brother also said another VA hospital in Ar- cal system at government exhumed as part of the in-
ities said. the case involved “one kansas — who is accused expense. The agency’s vestigation and the FBI has
Since the home is located firework” rather than a of being impaired while former director was fired contacted a third family to
near the start of the South “bomb.” on duty — in connection last year in the wake of exhume another body as
Plainfield Labor Day pa- It wasn’t clear whether Kai- with the deaths of three a bruising ethics scandal part of the probe, Manchin
rade, the event was can- ser had an attorney. patients. Authorities say he and a mounting rebellion told reporters on a confer-
celed “out of an abun- A phone message seek- misdiagnosed the patients within the agency, and the ence call Friday. Earlier this
dance of caution and due ing comment was left for and later altered records to doctor who Trump nomi- week, the Democrat said
to the potential threat to him.q conceal his mistakes. nated to replace him had VA officials had told him a
There is no evidence to sug- to withdraw his nomina- “person of interest” was no
gest the cases are related, tion amid accusations of longer in contact with any
but the investigations are misconduct. Robert Wilkie, veterans at the facility.
yet another black eye for the current Veterans Affairs The VA inspector general
the government’s second- secretary, who has been in told Manchin’s office about
largest department, which his post since last July, has the opening of a medical
is responsible for 9 million called for an expedited and criminal investigation
military veterans in more investigation into the suspi- of the hospital in July 2018,
than 1,700 government-run cious deaths in West Virgin- after at least nine patients
health facilities. ia. “We fully understand the were diagnosed with unex-
On the campaign trail in desire for a speedy resolu- plained low blood sugar,
2016, President Donald tion and need for closure,” the senator said. He toured
Trump repeatedly railed Powell said. the hospital Friday and
against the care by the Powell said the investiga- spoke with staffers and the
Department of Veterans tion, being conducted by medical center’s director,
Affairs, promising to fix the federal prosecutors and Glenn R. Snider Jr. q